Welcome to Upper Sandusky

Dr. Robert E. Cope

OWNER AND RETIRED VETERINARIAN

Dr Robert E Cope, after nearly 70 years of practicing veterinary medicine, is retiring. Dr Cope says  “I have been given the privilege of taking care of your beloved pets, your farm animals, and becoming your friend.  I consider this the greatest gift any person could receive and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I have treated animals for you, your parents, and your grandparents.  I have cried with you on those days when it is time to let a beloved pet go and I have been joyous for you when you have won at the county fair and everything in between.  I have been lucky to have been able to come back to my “hometown” and practice veterinary medicine.   God has created these beloved creatures and blessed me in being able to help keep them healthy and prevent them from suffering. “

Dr Cope grew up in Wyandot County and was active in 4-H and sporting events and St Paul Lutheran Church.  He attended The Ohio State University, where he played football for the Buckeyes his freshman year.  During veterinary school, Dr Cope spent an entire summer working for the state of Indiana, testing cows all over the state.   Dr Cope graduated in the top 10% of his veterinary class in 1955.  He then took a job in Illinois working for a large animal veterinarian for 1 month before he received his draft papers for the US Army.  Dr Cope completed his basic training at Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas and then reported to Fort Lewis, near Seattle, Washington.  1^st Lieutenant Robert Cope ran a small animal clinic, treating the Generals’ German Shepherds and driving to San Francisco as needed to inspect food coming into this country.  On his time off, he enjoyed snow skiing on Mt Ranier.

His next stop was Daytona Beach, FL, where he enjoyed small animal veterinary medicine, boating and water skiing, as well as raising 2 ocelets, who destroyed his tiny apartment.

But his heart belonged to the Buckeyes and Wyandot County and he returned in 1960 to Ohio and started practicing out of his parents home.  In 1970, he began planning to build his current veterinary clinic on the home farm, which his grandfather bought just after 1900.  His neighbor and friend, Leonard Niederkohr, was the contractor. 

During his time practicing in Wyandot County, he was on the Wyandot County Health Board and was the long time Wyandot County Fair Veterinarian.   He volunteered with the Wildlife organization for years providing housing on his farm and free veterinary care to rehabilitate the animals back into the wild.  He also raised and bred Championship Columbia sheep as well as writing a regular column in a national sheep newsletter.  Dr Cope bred and raised Standardbred Horses.  He had many excellent horses over the years.   Candy Super Star, who set a World Record on the Delaware, Ohio, track was trained by Dan Burks, and was well known all over the Midwest and Canada. 

Dr Cope also built and ran a veterinary practice near Ft Myers, FL in his later years, where he has a home and enjoys boating on the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr Cope will refill any medications that you need over the next 60 days.  You can also go to the website www.copeanimalclinic.com and order any refills at one of the two online stores thru the end of the year.   You can email a request for your medical records to:  animalclinicuppersandusky@gmail.com.  If you don’t have email,  you can stop out at the clinic and the records can be printed off for you.  The office does have limited hours so please call ahead at 419-294-1619.  The daily hours will be on the answering machine, posted on the door, the website and facebook.